Sugar is the commercial name for sucrose, the crystalline sweetener extracted from sugar cane and sugar beet, though in everyday language it covers the whole family of sweet soluble carbohydrates. Chemically it is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose that the body rapidly digests for energy. In food manufacture it does far more than sweeten: it builds texture in confectionery, drives browning reactions, preserves jams by binding water, feeds fermentation, and balances acidity. Nutritionally, high intakes are associated with obesity, diabetes, and dental caries, driving reformulation toward reduced-sugar products.